The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1547 has announced that Ahtna shareholder Doug Tansy was elected to a three-year term as Business Manager/Financial Secretary of the organization. Mr. Tansy is the first Alaska Native to be elected as Principal Agent of a labor union in Alaska.
“I am beyond humbled to be elected by the membership to serve as Business Manager,” Tansy said in a news release. “I am committed to doing my best to represent all members. This organization has changed my life, and I aim to continue to convey to young people the importance and need for skilled craftspeople to pursue careers in any of the fields we represent plus the equal pay, benefits and retirement the IBEW offers.”
A graduate of the Kornfeind Training School, Doug holds a Journeyman Electrician License, and the State of Alaska Electrical Administrators License for Unlimited Commercial Wiring. Doug’s main responsibility in the IBEW is to represent and work for the membership of the Union, but this representation happens in many ways. He is perpetually working in politics and policy-making at the Municipal, State, and Federal level; advocating for good jobs/projects; pushing for policy that will benefit the middle class; and fighting for equity in opportunities for all people. Doug serves as a trustee of the Alaska Electrical Defined Benefit Pension Plan, the Alaska Electrical Health & Welfare Plan, the Alaska Electrical Legal Plan, the Alaska Electrical Apprenticeship Training Trust, and the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center Trust.
Some of Doug’s favorite and most rewarding work is his impact on the IBEW’s Apprenticeship Schools statewide. He serves on the Trust which helps chart the direction of the entire program, as well as on the Local interview and disciplinary committees. These duties put him out in the community promoting the opportunities the IBEW has to offer, speaking at local high schools, job fairs, military transitions events, University of Alaska, etc.
“I find all aspects of our training and apprenticeship to be fulfilling and rewarding because it is all a part of helping people succeed professionally with careers that can provide so much good fortune,” he says.
“During my apprenticeship I was supported by many Elders who advised and encouraged me along the way. I also received financial help during my schooling from the Walter Charley Scholarship. Ahtna helped my development on the job through subsidiary Ahtna Construction, where I was able to earn money while I learned the trade and work for my corporation at the same time.”
Doug was recently appointed by Governor Dunleavy to the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation’s board of directors. His community involvement is vast and includes service on the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Board, the Alaska Governor’s Safety Advisory Council, Alaska Workforce Investment Board, Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation, President of the Fairbanks Central Labor Council, and President of the Fairbanks Joint Crafts Council.
About Doug Tansy
Doug is the son of Roy and Irene Tansy, grandson of Jake and Lily Tansy of Cantwell (paternal) and Alfred and Carmel Widmark (maternal) of Klawock. He is originally from the Ahtna village of Cantwell, Alaska and a member of the Udzisyu (Caribou) clan. Doug’s late father was also from Cantwell and Ahtna Athabascan of the (Naltsiine) Sky clan. His late mother was from Klawock and was Tlingit of the (Yéil /L’eeneidí) Raven/Dog Salmon clan.
Doug’s childhood was primarily spent in the Copper Valley (Copper Center), going to school there, but every summer was enjoyed in Cantwell. For high school, his parents allowed him to move to Fairbanks with his cousin, Paul Mayo, so he could attend a larger school and have the opportunity to play football and wrestle at a higher level.
Doug and his wife, Kristine, have six children, so they are non-stop at their sporting events or school activities. They also enjoy hunting, fishing and berry picking as a family. Now that the kids are getting older, they are enjoying skiing, hiking, 4-wheeling and snowmachining. Doug says he also enjoys giving back to his community – coaching his children’s sports teams, and volunteering with his whole family working at the food bank, soup kitchen and senior center.